context stringlengths 94 1.14k | question stringlengths 24 342 | answers listlengths 4 4 | label int64 0 3 | id_string stringlengths 7 10 |
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Advertisement: GreenBank gives all of its customers unlimited free automatic teller machine (ATM) use. TekBank charges 25 cents for each ATM transaction. So, clearly, it costs more to bank at TekBank than at GreenBank. | The reasoning in the advertisement's argument is misleading in that the argument | [
"draws a conclusion about the overall cost of a service solely on the basis of a claim about the cost of one component of that service",
"bases a recommendation solely on economic factors without considering whether other factors are more important",
"concludes that a component of a service must have a property... | 0 | train_2300 |
Mary Ann: Our country should, above all, be strong. Strength gains the respect of other countries and makes a country admirable. Inez: There are many examples in history of countries that were strong but used their strength to commit atrocities. We should judge a country by the morality of its actions, not by its stren... | Which one of the following is a presupposition that underlies Inez' argument? | [
"Countries cannot be both strong and moral.",
"It is possible to assign moral weight to the actions of countries.",
"The citizens of any country believe that whatever their country does is good.",
"At least one country is admirable."
] | 1 | train_2301 |
The governmental archives of a country recently freed from dictatorship contain no material incriminating the country' s most notorious dictator in certain crimes that political observers believed him to have instigated. In fact, the archives contain documents implicating others in these crimes. Ttherefore, even though... | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"presumes, without providing justification, that rulers should not be held responsible for unjust actions carried out by their subordinates",
"fails to consider the possibility that the political observers might have wished to make the dictator appear worse than he really was",
"fails to justify its presumption... | 2 | train_2302 |
Exposure to certain chemicals commonly used in elementary schools as cleaners or pesticides causes allergic reactions in some children. Elementary school nurses in Renston report that the proportion of schoolchildren sent to them for treatment of allergic reactions to those chemicals has increased significantly over th... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Children attending elementary school do not make up a larger proportion of Renston's population now than they did ten years ago.",
"The chemicals are not commonly used as cleaners or pesticides in houses and apartment buildings in Renston.",
"Children who are allergic to the chemicals are no more likely than o... | 3 | train_2303 |
It was misleading for James to tell the Core Curriculum Committee that the chair of the Anthropology Department had endorsed his proposal. The chair of the Anthropology Department had told James that his proposal had her endorsement, but only if the draft proposal she saw included all the recommendations James would ul... | The argument relies on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"The draft proposal that the chair of the Anthropology Department had seen did not include all of the recommendations in James's proposal to the Core Curriculum Committee.",
"If the chair of the Anthropology Department did not endorse James's proposed recommendations, the Core Curriculum Committee would be unlike... | 0 | train_2304 |
Plant scientists have been able to genetically engineer vegetable seeds to produce crops that are highly resistant to insect damage. Although these seeds currently cost more than conventional seeds, their cost is likely to decline. Moreover, farmers planting them can use far less pesticide, and most consumers prefer ve... | which of the following would be most useful to know in evaluating the argument above? | [
"Whether seeds genetically engineered to produce insect-resistant crops generate significantly lower per acre crop yields than do currently used seeds.",
"Whether plants grown from the new genetically engineered seeds can be kept completely free of insect damage.",
"Whether farmers typically use agricultural pe... | 0 | train_2305 |
Chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition that afflicts thousands of people, is invariably associated with lower-than-normal concentrations of magnesium in the blood. Further, malabsorption of magnesium from the digestive tract to the blood is also often associated with some types of fatigue. These facts in themselves demo... | The argument is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? | [
"It fails to establish that lower-than-normal concentrations of magnesium in the blood are invariably due to malabsorption of magnesium.",
"It offers no evidence that fatigue itself does not induce lowered concentrations of magnesium in the blood.",
"It neglects to state the exact concentration of magnesium in ... | 1 | train_2306 |
Interviewer: You have shown that biofeedback, dietary changes, and adoption of proper sleep habits all succeed in curing insomnia. You go so far as to claim that, with rigorous adherence to the proper treatment, any case of insomnia is curable. Yet in fact some patients suffering from insomnia do not respond to treatme... | The therapist's reply to the interviewer is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? | [
"It does not provide statistical evidence to back up its claim.",
"It precludes the possibility of disconfirming evidence.",
"It overlooks the possibility that some cases of insomnia might improve without any treatment.",
"It depends on the ambiguous use of the term \"treatment. \""
] | 1 | train_2307 |
Because it was long thought that few people would watch lengthy televised political messages, most televised political advertisements, like commercial advertisements, took the form of short messages. Last year, however, one candidate produced a half-hour-long advertisement. During the half hour the advertisement was ai... | Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends? | [
"Most of the viewers who tuned in to the candidate's half-hour-long advertisement last year did not change channels after the first few minutes.",
"Political advertisements have become increasingly influential in determining voters' decisions at the polls.",
"The candidate's ratings improved significantly as a ... | 0 | train_2308 |
Drug manufacturer: Television audiences are sure to realize that the "physician" recommending our brand of cough syrup in our advertisement is actually an actor playing a role. Hence they will not place undue trust in the advice given by this actor. Ttherefore, networks should relax their guidelines to permit our compa... | Which of the following is an argumentative strategy used by the television executive in response to the drug manufacturer? | [
"Invoking subjective opinions concerning audience reaction to television advertisements as if those opinions constituted objective evidence.",
"Indicating that the reason the drug manufacturer offers for relaxing the guidelines conflicts with the manufacturer's presumed motive for presenting the image of a physic... | 1 | train_2309 |
In order to combat Carville's rampant homeless problem, Mayor Bloomfield recently proposed a ban on sleeping outdoors in the city's many parks. He claims that such a measure will force the homeless to either leave Carville or to find means other than sleeping in public parks. | Which of the following, if true, suggests that Mayor Bloomfield's plan will be successful? | [
"Adjacent cities have even tougher measures on the homeless sleeping outdoors.",
"Many homeless tend to congregate underneath Carville's numerous overpasses.",
"Until the ban, the city's many homeless shelters were at less than fifty percent occupancy.",
"The percent of Carville's population that has been hom... | 2 | train_2310 |
More than a year ago, the city announced that police would crack down on illegally parked cars and that resources would be diverted from writing speeding tickets to ticketing illegally parked cars. But no crackdown has taken place. The police chief claims that resources have had to be diverted from writing speeding tic... | The conclusion in the passage depends on the assumption that | [
"writing speeding tickets should be as important a priority for the city as combating drug-related crime",
"drug-related crime is not as serious a problem for the city as the police chief claims it is",
"the police cannot continue writing as many speeding tickets as ever while diverting resources to combating d... | 2 | train_2311 |
Outbreaks of Rift Valley fever occur irregularly in East Africa, several years apart. When outbreaks do occur, they kill thousands of cattle. A livestock vaccine against the disease exists but is rarely used. It is too expensive for farmers to use routinely, and since it is not effective until a month after vaccination... | Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest justification for the experts' prediction? | [
"When an outbreak of Rift Valley fever occurs, unaffected countries often refuse to import livestock from the countries affected by the outbreak.",
"Recently published research has shown that certain identifiable climatic conditions are almost invariably followed, within two to five months, by an outbreak of Rift... | 1 | train_2312 |
Mayor of Plainsville: In order to help the economy of Plainsville, I am using some of our tax revenues to help bring a major highway through the town and thereby attract new business to Plainsville. Citizens' group: You must have interests other than our economy in mind. If you were really interested in helping our eco... | The argument by the citizens' group relies on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"Plainsville's economy will not be helped unless a new business park of the sort envisioned by the citizens' group is built.",
"The mayor is required to get approval for all tax revenue allocation plans from the city council.",
"Plainsville presently has no major highways running through it.",
"The mayor acce... | 3 | train_2313 |
"Life expectancy" is the average age at death of the entire live-born population. In the middle of the nineteenth century, life expectancy in North America was 40 years, whereas now it is nearly 80 years. Thus, in those days, people must have been considered old at an age that we now consider the prime of life. | Which of the following, if true, undermines the argument above? | [
"In the middle of the nineteenth century, the population of North America was significantly smaller than it is today.",
"The proportion of people who die in their seventies is significantly smaller today than is the proportion of people who die in their eighties.",
"Most of the gains in life expectancy in the l... | 2 | train_2314 |
Copyright was originally the grant of a temporary government-supported monopoly on copying a work. Its sole purpose was to encourage the circulation of ideas by giving authors the opportunity to derive a reasonable financial reward from their works. However, copyright sometimes goes beyond its original purpose since so... | The conclusion of the argument is most strongly supported if which one of the following completes the passage? | [
"there is no practical way to enforce copyrights",
"copyrights hold for many years after an author's death",
"authors are willing to circulate their works even without any financial reward",
"publication of copyrighted works is not the only way to circulate ideas"
] | 1 | train_2315 |
Every time people get what they want they feel pleasure. Pleasure is a natural result of getting what one wants. We can conclude that no one fundamentally desires anything except pleasure. | Which one of the following uses questionable reasoning most similar to that used in the argument above? | [
"I have never been skiing, but just thinking about it terrifies me, so I guess I must not want to learn how.",
"Every time I eat pizza I get a stomachache, so I suppose the reason I eat pizza in the first place is so that I can have a stomachache.",
"I never enjoy a soccer game without eating hot dogs, so I gue... | 1 | train_2316 |
The theory of military deterrence was based on a simple psychological truth, that fear of retaliation makes a would-be aggressor nation hesitate before attacking and is often sufficient to deter it altogether from attacking. Clearly, then, to maintain military deterrence, a nation would have to be believed to have reta... | If the statements above are true, which one of the following can be properly inferred? | [
"It is in the interests of a nation that seeks deterrence and has unsurpassed military power to let potential aggressors against it become aware of its power of retaliatory attack.",
"A nation will not attack another nation if it believes that its own retaliatory power surpasses that of the other nation.",
"Mai... | 0 | train_2317 |
Religious Scholar: Truly moral people are naturally inclined to benefit their fellow man. People who act morally solely as a means to garner some divine benefit or avoid cosmic retribution are not, in fact, moral. They are blind sheep. To be moral requires true selflessness, rather than following any specific religious... | Which one of the following individual's actions best adheres to the religious scholar's moral code? | [
"Jorge caught his wife in the midst of an extra-marital affair with a co-worker. Naturally, he was extremely angry. Jorge wanted to physically harm his unfaithful wife and her treacherous coworker. But he remembered the words of the Sixth Commandment -- thou shall not kill -- and walked out of the room before he lo... | 1 | train_2318 |
Oceanographer: To substantially reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth' s atmosphere, carbon dioxide should be captured and pumped deep into the oceans, where it would dissolve. The cool, dense water in ocean depths takes centuries to mix with the warmer water near the surface, so any carbon dioxide pumped deep i... | Which one of the following is an assumption that the oceanographer's argument requires? | [
"Carbon dioxide will dissolve much more thoroughly if it is pumped into cold water than it will if it is pumped into warmer water.",
"Carbon dioxide dissolved in cool, dense water in ocean depths will not escape back into Earth's atmosphere a long time before the water in which that carbon dioxide is dissolved mi... | 1 | train_2319 |
Political theorist: Newly enacted laws need a period of immunity during which they can be repealed only if circumstances are dire. This is because the short-term consequences of any statutory change are likely to be painful, since people are not accustomed to it, while its longterm benefits are initially obscure, becau... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the political theorist's argument? | [
"The short-term consequences of a law's repeal should be considered more carefully than the short-term consequences of its passage.",
"Whether a law should be retained is independent of what the voters think its consequences will be.",
"Whether a law should be retained depends primarily on the long-term consequ... | 2 | train_2320 |
The cities of Oldtown and Spoonville are the same in area and size of population. Since certain health problems that are caused by crowded living conditions are widespread in Oldtown, such problems must be as widespread in Spoonville. | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"fails to take into account that having identical overall population density is consistent with great disparity in living conditions",
"fails to distinguish between the size of the total population of a city and the size of the geographic region covered by that city",
"presupposes without warrant that the healt... | 0 | train_2321 |
The number of tornadoes recorded annually in North America has more than tripled since 1953. Yet meteorologists insist that the climatic factors affecting the creation of tornadoes are unchanged. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above? | [
"Many more citizens are helping authorities detect tornadoes now than in 1953.",
"The number of tornadoes recorded annually has increased only slightly in the last five years.",
"The factors affecting the creation of tornadoes were not well known to meteorologists before 1953.",
"The amount of property damage... | 0 | train_2322 |
John: It was wrong of you to blame me for that traffic accident. You know full well that the accident was due to my poor vision, and I certainly cannot be held responsible for the fact that my vision has deteriorated. Michiko: But I can hold you responsible for your hazardous driving, because you know how poor your vis... | The principle that Michiko invokes, if established, would justify which one of the following judgments? | [
"Colleen was responsible for missing her flight home from Paris, because she decided to take one more trip to the Eiffel Tower even though she knew she might not have sufficient time to get to the airport if she did so.",
"Colleen was not responsible for losing her job, because, knowing that her position was in d... | 0 | train_2323 |
Critic: It is common to argue that there is a distinction between "literary" and "genre" fiction. The first should be interpreted, so this argument goes, while the second is merely a source of easy pleasure. But this is a specious distinction -- not because every work should be interpreted, but because no work should b... | Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the critic's argument by the claim that when we evaluate a work principally for its themes and ideas, we cut ourselves off from the work's emotional impact? | [
"It states the conclusion.",
"It is offered as support for the conclusion.",
"It attempts to explain the nature of the distinction that the critic considers.",
"It attempts to anticipate an objection to the critic's conclusion."
] | 1 | train_2324 |
Columnist: It has been noted that attending a live musical performance is a richer experience than is listening to recorded music. Some say that this is merely because we do not see the performers when we listen to recorded music. However, there must be some other reason, for there is relatively little difference betwe... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the role played in the argument by the observation that attending a live musical performance is a richer experience than is listening to recorded music? | [
"It is what the columnist's argument purports to show.",
"It is what the columnist's argument purports to refute.",
"It is what the position that the columnist tries to undermine is purported to explain.",
"It is what the columnist's argument purports to explain."
] | 2 | train_2325 |
In order to expand its mailing lists for e-mail advertising, the Outdoor Sports Company has been offering its customers financial incentives if they provide the e-mail addresses of their friends. However, offering such incentives is an unethical business practice, because it encourages people to exploit their personal ... | Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the argument? | [
"It is unethical for people to exploit their personal relationships for profit if in doing so they risk damaging the integrity of those relationships.",
"It is an unethical business practice for a company to deliberately damage the integrity of its customers' personal relationships in any way.",
"If it would be... | 3 | train_2326 |
Psychologist: We asked 100 entrepreneurs and 100 business managers to answer various questions and rate how confident they were that their responses were correct. While members of each group were overconfident, in general the entrepreneurs were much more so than the business managers. This indicates that people who are... | Which one of the following, if true, lends the most support to the psychologist's conclusion? | [
"Another survey showed that degree of confidence was highly correlated with success in business.",
"At least some of the entrepreneurs surveyed had accurately determined before attempting to start their businesses what the odds were against their attempts being successful.",
"How confident each person surveyed ... | 3 | train_2327 |
Tanya would refrain from littering if everyone else refrained from littering. None of her friends litter, and ttherefore she does not litter either. | Which one of the following uses flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning in the argument above? | [
"All residents of the same neighborhood have some goals in common. One group of neighborhood residents wants improvements made to a local park, so some other residents of that neighborhood must share this goal.",
"If all of a restaurant's customers like its food, it must be an exceptional restaurant. Everyone who... | 1 | train_2328 |
Although aspirin has been proven to eliminate moderate fever associated with some illnesses, many doctors no longer routinely recommend its use for this purpose. A moderate fever stimulates the activity of the body's disease-fighting white blood cells and also inhibits the growth of many strains of disease-causing bact... | If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions is most strongly supported by them? | [
"The more white blood cells a patient's body produces, the less severe the patient's illness will be.",
"Aspirin, an effective painkiller, alleviates the pain and discomfort of many illnesses.",
"Aspirin inhibits the growth of white blood cells, which are necessary for fighting some illnesses.",
"Aspirin can ... | 3 | train_2329 |
Certain minor peculiarities of language are used unconsciously by poets. If such peculiarities appear in the works of more than one poet, they are likely to reflect the language in common use during the poets' time. However, if they appear in the work of only one poet, they are likely to be personal idiosyncrasies. As ... | For which one of the following reasons can the test described above never provide conclusive proof of the authorship of any poem? | [
"A poet's use of some peculiarities of language might have been unconscious in some poems and conscious in other poems, and the two uses would be indistinguishable to scholars at a later date.",
"The labor of analyzing peculiarities of language both in the work of a known poet and in a poem of unknown authorship ... | 3 | train_2330 |
The percentage of households with an annual income of more than $40, 000 is higher in Merton County than in any other county. However, the percentage of households with an annual income of $60, 000 or more is higher in Sommer County. | If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true? | [
"Average annual household income is higher in Sommer County than in Merton County.",
"The percentage of households with an annual income of $80, 000 is higher in Sommer County than in Merton County.",
"The number of households with an annual income of more than $40, 000 is greater in Merton County than in Somme... | 3 | train_2331 |
Using clean-coal technologies to "repower" existing factories promises ultimately a substantial reduction of polluting emissions, and will affect the full range of pollutants implicated in acid rain. The strategy of using these technologies could cut sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 80 percent and nitrogen oxide e... | Which one of the following statements is an inference that can be drawn from the information given in the passage? | [
"Noxious ozone is formed in factories by chemical reactions involving sulfur dioxide.",
"Twenty percent of the present level of sulfur dioxide emissions in the atmosphere is not considered a harmful level.",
"The choice of technologies in factories could reduce the formation of noxious ozone in the troposphere.... | 2 | train_2332 |
Mayor: Migrating shorebirds stop at our beach just to feed on horseshoe-crab eggs, a phenomenon that attracts tourists. To bring more tourists, the town council plans to undertake a beach reclamation project to double the area available to crabs for nesting. Birdwatcher: Without a high density of crabs on a beach, migr... | Which of the following, if true, would provide the mayor with the strongest counter to the birdwatcher's objection? | [
"The additional land made available by the reclamation project will give migrating shorebirds more space.",
"On average, tourists who come to the town in order to watch birds spend more money there than tourists who come for other purposes.",
"Horseshoe crabs are so prolific that given favorable circumstances t... | 2 | train_2333 |
When people experience throbbing in their teeth or gums, they have serious dental problems, and if a dental problem is serious, it will be a problem either of tooth decay or of gum disease. Ttherefore, since throbbing in the teeth or gums is a sign of serious dental problems, and neither Sabina' s teeth nor her gums ar... | Which one of the following contains an error of reasoning most similar to that made in the argument above? | [
"Someone who is neither an ophthalmologist nor an optometrist lacks specialized training for diagnosing defects of the eye. Ttherefore, Kim must have been trained in ophthalmology or optometry, given that she accurately diagnosed John's eye defect.",
"A legally practicing psychiatrist must have both a medical deg... | 3 | train_2334 |
Nutritionist: Many people claim that simple carbohydrates are a reasonable caloric replacement for the fatty foods forbidden to those on law-fat diets. This is now in doubt. New studies show that, for many people, a high intake of simple carbohydrates stimulates an overproduction of insulin, a hormone that is involved ... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the nutritionist's statements? | [
"People who produce enough insulin to process their intake of simple carbohydrates should not feel compelled to adopt low-fat diets.",
"People on low-fat diets should avoid consumption of simple carbohydrates if they wish to maintain the energy that their bodies require.",
"People who consume simple carbohydrat... | 3 | train_2335 |
People ought to take into account a discipline' s blemished origins when assessing the scientific value of that discipline. Take, for example, chemistry. It must be considered that many of its landmark results were obtained by alchemists -- a group whose superstitions and appeals to magic dominated the early developmen... | The reasoning above is most susceptible to criticism because the author | [
"fails to consider how chemistry's current theories and practices differ from those of the alchemists mentioned",
"uses the word \"discipline\"in two different senses",
"uses an example to contradict the principle under consideration",
"fails to establish that disciplines with unblemished origins are scientif... | 0 | train_2336 |
When deciding where to locate or relocate, businesses look for an educated work force, a high level of services, a low business-tax rate, and close proximity to markets and raw materials. However, although each of these considerations has approximately equal importance, the lack of proximity either to markets or to raw... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the statements above? | [
"Businesses have sometimes tried to obtain tax reductions from municipalities by suggesting that without such a reduction the business might be forced to relocate elsewhere.",
"Taxes paid by businesses constitute only a part of the tax revenue collected by most municipalities.",
"Businesses sometimes leave a mu... | 3 | train_2337 |
If a President is elected, then he or she won the nomination of a major party and received at least 270 Electoral College votes, even if he or she did not win the popular vote. | Which one of the following must be true? | [
"No President who won the nomination of a major party received 270 Electoral College votes.",
"Some Presidents have received less than 270 Electoral College votes.",
"No President has received less than 270 Electoral College votes.",
"Some Presidents have won the popular vote."
] | 2 | train_2338 |
Most children find it very difficult to explain exactly what the words they use mean when those words do not refer to things that can be seen or touched. Yet, since children are able to use these words to convey the feelings and emotions they are obviously experiencing, understanding what a word means clearly does not ... | Which one of the following principles, if accepted, would provide the most justification for the conclusion? | [
"Words can be explained satisfactorily only when they refer to things that can be seen or touched.",
"Anyone who can provide an exact explanation of a word has a clear understanding of what that word means.",
"When someone appropriately uses a word to convey something that he or she is experiencing, that person... | 2 | train_2339 |
Mike: Tom did not tell me that I could use his computer, but it would not be wrong for me to use it anyway. Last week Tom used Mary' s bicycle even though she had not told him he could use it. | Which one of the following principles, if valid, would most help to justify Mike's reasoning? | [
"Using the possessions of others without their permission is not always theft.",
"It is permissible to treat people in a way that is similar to the way in which they have treated others.",
"If people have used your property without your permission, it is not wrong for you to use their property without their per... | 1 | train_2340 |
The capture of a wild animal is justified only as a last resort to save that animal' s life. But many wild animals are captured not because their lives are in any danger but so that they can be bred in captivity. Hence, many animals that have been captured should not have been captured. | Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its pattern of reasoning to the argument above? | [
"Parents who never punish a child are not justified in complaining if the child regularly behaves in ways that disturb them. But many parents who prefer not to punish their children complain regularly about their children's behavior. Hence, many parents who complain about their children have no right to complain.",... | 2 | train_2341 |
Historian: The central claim of the "end-of-history" theory is that history has reached its final stage of development. According to its adherents, democratic ideals have triumphed over their rivals, and history is effectively at an ideological end. But, this view fails to consider that it is impossible to stand outsid... | Which one of the following can be most reasonably inferred from the historian's statement? | [
"Ideological developments are the essential elements of history.",
"We can never know whether the end-of-history theory is true.",
"If we were at the end of history, we would automatically know whether the end-of-history theory is true.",
"Advocates of the end-of-history theory have too ideological an underst... | 1 | train_2342 |
A store was vandalized repeatedly over a six-month period . When discussing the problem with a friend, the store owner mentioned having heard that bright lighting around the perimeter of commercial establishments had been known to reduce the incidence of vandalism. Three months later, the store owner reported to the sa... | Each of the following, if true, would call into question the friend's conclusion EXCEPT: | [
"There had been an increase in police patrolling of the area.",
"The store owner reported that all the stores adjacent to the perimeter also experienced a reduction in vandalism, although stores one block away did not.",
"The store owner brought in a watchdog to protect the store from vandals.",
"Bright light... | 1 | train_2343 |
A bodybuilder needs to win a regional contest before competing in the national championship. Arnold just won the West Coast regional contest, so he is eligible to compete in the national championship. The last five winners of the West Coast regional contest have all won the national championship. Arnold' s trainer has ... | The argument above is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that: | [
"it draws a hasty generalization based on a small sample size.",
"it confuses a probability with a certainty.",
"it confuses correlation with causation.",
"it confuses a necessary and sufficient condition."
] | 1 | train_2344 |
Laila: Though lying may be unacceptable in most cases, there are exceptions: when lying brings about more good than harm, lying is morally permissible. | Which one of the following judgments conforms most closely to the principle stated by Laila? | [
"It is morally permissible for Marcus to lie to his parents about where he is going for the evening as long as what he is going to do is not itself a bad thing to do.",
"It is morally permissible for Debra to lie to keep Thomas from being unhappy as long as the lie helps Thomas and does no harm.",
"It is morall... | 1 | train_2345 |
Scientists propose placing seismic stations on the floor of the Pacific Ocean to warn threatened coastal communities on the northwestern coast of the United States of approaching tidal waves caused by earthquakes. Since forewarned communities could take steps to evacuate, many of the injuries and deaths that would othe... | The answer to which of the following questions would be most important in determining whether implementing the proposal would be likely to achieve the desired result? | [
"How soon after a tidal wave hits land is it safe for evacuees to return to their communities?",
"Would there be enough time after receiving warning of an approaching tidal wave for communities to evacuate safely?",
"When was the last time that the coastal communities were threatened by an approaching tidal wav... | 1 | train_2346 |
It is now a common complaint that the electronic media have corroded the intellectual skills required and fostered by the literary media. But several centuries ago the complaint was that certain intellectual skills, such as the powerful memory and extemporaneous eloquence that were intrinsic to oral culture, were being... | The reference to the complaint of several centuries ago that powerful memory and extemporaneous eloquence were being destroyed plays which one of the following roles in the argument? | [
"an example of a cultural change that did not necessarily have a detrimental effect on the human mind overall",
"possible evidence, mentioned and then dismissed, that might be cited by supporters of the hypothesis being criticized",
"an illustration of the general hypothesis being advanced that intellectual abi... | 0 | train_2347 |
No one with a serious medical problem would rely on the average person to prescribe treatment. Similarly, since a good public servant has the interest of the public at heart, __. | Which one of the following statements would most reasonably complete the argument? | [
"public servants should not be concerned about the outcomes of public opinion surveys",
"public servants should base decisions on something other than the average person's recommendations",
"the average public servant knows more about what is best for society than the average person does",
"one is a good publ... | 1 | train_2348 |
Scientist: Some pundits claim that the public is afraid of scientists. This isn' t true. I have been a scientist for several decades, and I have never met anyone who is afraid of scientists. | Which one of the following is an assumption required by the scientist's argument? | [
"If the public were afraid of scientists, then over several decades a scientist would encounter at least one person who was afraid of scientists.",
"If a person understood what science is really about, then that person would not be afraid of scientists.",
"Alleged scientific claims may be used to manipulate peo... | 0 | train_2349 |
It was once believed that cells grown in laboratory tissue cultures were essentially immortal. That is, as long as all of their needs were met, they would continue dividing forever. However, it has been shown that normal cells have a finite reproductive limit. A human liver cell, for example, divides 60 times and then ... | If the information above is accurate, a liver cell in which more than 60 divisions took place in a tissue culture CANNOT be which one of the following? | [
"a normal human liver cell that had been frozen after its first division and afterward thawed",
"a normal liver cell that came from an individual of a nonhuman species and had been frozen after its first division and afterward thawed",
"a normal cell that came from the liver of an individual of a nonhuman speci... | 0 | train_2350 |
The radiation absorbed by someone during an ordinary commercial airline flight is no more dangerous than that received during an ordinary dental X-ray. Since a dental X-ray does negligible harm to a person, we can conclude that the radiation absorbed by members of commercial airline flight crews will also do them negli... | A flaw in the argument is its failure to consider that | [
"there may be many forms of dangerous radiation other than X-rays and the kinds of radiation absorbed by members of commercial airline flight crews",
"receiving a dental X-ray may mitigate other health risks, whereas flying does not",
"flying at high altitude involves risks in addition to exposure to minor radi... | 3 | train_2351 |
All orchid species that are pollinated solely by insects have features that attract insects. The flower of a recently discovered orchid species contains edible tendrils that invariably attract insects to the inside of the flower. Hence, it follows that this orchid species is one that is pollinated solely by insects. | The argument is flawed because it | [
"assumes without warrant that a characteristic that distinguishes one class of things from another is the only characteristic that distinguishes that class from the other",
"mistakes a characteristic that is unique to one particular class of things for a characteristic that is unique to an unrelated class of thin... | 2 | train_2352 |
Television news coverage gives viewers a sense of direct involvement with current events but does not provide the depth of coverage needed for the significance of those events to be appreciated. Newspapers, on the other hand, provide depth of coverage but no sense of direct involvement. Unfortunately, a full understand... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"treats two things, neither one of which can plausibly be seen as excluding the other, as though they were mutually exclusive",
"makes crucial use of the term \"depth of coverage\" without defining it",
"fails to consider the possible disadvantages of having a sense of direct involvement with tragic or violent ... | 0 | train_2353 |
Although the code of the Nutri-Fare Grocery Store states that the company must employ some workers with disabilities, no blind or deaf employees have yet been hired for employment by the grocery store. Ttherefore, the grocery store is currently in violation of its code. | The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? | [
"The grocery store currently has no employees who are blind or deaf.",
"All employees of Nutri-Fare live within five miles of the store.",
"All employees with disabilities are blind or deaf.",
"The grocery store's code cannot be modified in order to avoid its being violated."
] | 2 | train_2354 |
Twelve healthy volunteers with the Apo-A-IV-1 gene and twelve healthy volunteers who instead have the Apo-A-IV-2 gene each consumed a standard diet supplemented daily by a high-cholesterol food. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. After three weeks, the blood ... | Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? | [
"The presence of the Apo-A-IV-2 gene may inhibit the elevation of blood cholesterol.",
"Most of those at risk of heart disease may be able to reduce their risk by adopting a low-cholesterol diet.",
"Approximately half the population carries a gene that lowers cholesterol levels.",
"The presence of the Apo-A-I... | 0 | train_2355 |
In the last few years, a drastic spike in sea temperatures around Prudhoe Bay has caused the eggs of snow crabs to hatch earlier in the year than they had previously. As a result, baby snow crabs are more likely to be caught by deep sea fishing boats, since deep sea fishing boats are more numerous in Arctic waters duri... | Which of the following pieces of information is necessary to evaluate the argument? | [
"The time of year the deep sea fishing boats arrive to the waters around Prudhoe Bay",
"The total number of snow crabs that hatch versus the total number that had hatched before the increase in temperatures",
"The month in which the boats leave, and the month in which the snow crabs eggs hatch",
"The amount o... | 2 | train_2356 |
Anthropologist: One of the distinctive traits of humans is the ability to support a large brain with a small gut, which requires getting more calories from less food. It was likely the development of cooking that made this possible. After all, our ancestors developed large brains around the time that they began to cont... | Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the anthropologist's argument? | [
"Raw meat contains more calories than a similar quantity of raw vegetables.",
"The human body uses more calories to process raw food than it uses to process cooked food.",
"Cooked foods contain the same number of calories as raw foods.",
"Domesticated plants and animals are richer in calories than their wild ... | 1 | train_2357 |
When a planetary system forms, the chances that a planet capable of supporting life will be formed are high. The chances that a large planet the size of Jupiter or Saturn will be formed, however, are low. Without Jupiter and Saturn, whose gravitational forces have prevented Earth from being frequently struck by large c... | Knowing which one of the following would be most useful in evaluating the argument? | [
"how likely it is that planetary systems containing large planets will also contain planets the size of Earth",
"whether large comets could be deflected by only one large planet rather than by two",
"how high the chances are that planetary systems will contain many large comets",
"whether all planetary system... | 2 | train_2358 |
Joshi is clearly letting campaign contributions influence his vote in city council. His campaign for re-election has received more financial support from property developers than any other city councilor' s has. And more than any other councilor' s, his voting record favors the interests of property developers. | The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument | [
"has a conclusion that is simply a restatement of one of the argument's stated premises",
"takes for granted that because certain events occurred sequentially, the earlier events caused the later events",
"confuses one thing's being necessary for another to occur with its being sufficient to make it occur",
"... | 3 | train_2359 |
Five years ago, the hair dryer produced by the Wilson Appliance Company accounted for 50 percent of all sales of hair dryers nationwide. Currently, however, Wilson Appliance' s product makes up only 25 percent of such sales. Because of this decline, and because the average net income that Wilson receives per hair dryer... | The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument | [
"mistakes a decline in the market share of Wilson Appliance's hair dryer for a decline in the total sales of that product",
"does not provide specific information about the profits hair dryers generate for the companies that produce them",
"fails to discuss sales figures for Wilson Appliance's products other th... | 0 | train_2360 |
Surgeon General: Smoking causes more deaths than the combined causes of HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol consumption, motor vehicle accidents, and firearms, killing more than 480, 000 Americans each year. As opposed to nonsmokers, smokers are two-to-four times more likely to suffer from heart disease and twenty-five time... | Which of the following is most strongly suggested by the Surgeon General's statement above? | [
"Americans should be able to do whatever they want with their bodies.",
"Without big businesses marketing cigarettes, no Americans would smoke.",
"Protecting some principles is more important than health.",
"The United States should ban smoking."
] | 2 | train_2361 |
A prominent investor who holds a large stake in the Burton Tool Company has recently claimed that the company is mismanaged, citing as evidence the company's failure to slow down production in response to a recent rise in its inventory of finished products. It is doubtful whether an investors sniping at management can ... | In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles? | [
"The first states a generalization that underlies the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second clarifies the meaning of a specific phrase as it is used in that generalization.",
"The first provides evidence to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole the second states that conclusion",
... | 2 | train_2362 |
Aroca City currently funds its public schools through taxes on property. <b> In place of this system, the city plans to introduce a sales tax of 3 percent on all retail sales in the city. </b> Critics protest that 3 percent of current retail sales falls short of the amount raised for schools by property taxes. The crit... | In the argument given, the two portions in <b> boldface </b> play which of the following roles? | [
"The first presents a plan that the argument seeks to defend against a certain criticism; the second is that criticism.",
"The first presents a plan that the argument contends is the best available; the second is a conclusion drawn by the argument to justify that contention.",
"The first presents a plan that th... | 3 | train_2363 |
A recently invented fabric specially designed for tee shirts is much more practical than the cotton fabrics it could replace: The new fabric costs only twice as much per yard as cotton fabrics, yet it holds its shape through up to 50 more laundry cycles than cotton fabrics. Still, regardless of the new fabric' s impres... | Each of the following, if true, provides support for the clothing manufacturers' expectations EXCEPT: | [
"Tee shirts in general have become less popular recently because of changes in fashion.",
"Another fabric company has recently introduced a fabric that costs the same per yard as cotton fabrics and holds its shape through 60 more laundry cycles.",
"People generally are unconcerned with how long their tee shirts... | 3 | train_2364 |
In discussing the pros and cons of monetary union among several European nations, some politicians have claimed that living standards in the countries concerned would first have to converge if monetary union is not to lead to economic chaos. This claim is plainly false, as is demonstrated by the fact that living standa... | In attempting to refute the politicians' claim, the author does which one of the following? | [
"presents an earlier instance of the action being considered in which the predicted consequences did not occur",
"gives an example of a state of affairs, assumed to be relevantly similar, in which the allegedly incompatible elements coexist",
"argues that the feared consequence would occur regardless of what co... | 1 | train_2365 |
Aroca City currently funds its public schools through taxes on property. <b> In place of this system, the city plans to introduce a sales tax of three percent on all retail sales in the city. </b> Critics protest that three percent of current retail sales falls short of the amount raised for schools by property taxes. ... | In the argument given, the two potions in <b> boldface </b> play which of the following roles? | [
"The first presents a plan that the argument criticizes; the second presents a consideration that has been raised against that criticism.",
"The first presents a plan that the argument seeks to defend against a certain criticism; the second gives part of the basis for that criticism.",
"The first presents a pla... | 3 | train_2366 |
Essayist: The way science is conducted and regulated can be changed. But we need to determine whether the changes are warranted, taking into account their price. The use of animals in research could end immediately, but only at the cost of abandoning many kinds of research and making others very expensive. The use of r... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the essayist's argument? | [
"If we regulate science more closely, we will change the character of science.",
"The regulation of science and the conducting of science can be changed.",
"We should not make changes that will alter the character of science.",
"We need to be aware of the impact of change in science before changes are made."
... | 3 | train_2367 |
By examining the fossilized leaves of any prehistoric plant it is possible to determine the climate in which that specimen grew because the size and shape of a leaf are unique to a given climate. Since the climate at a given location depends on the altitude at that location, it follows that the size and shape of a foss... | The reasoning in the argument is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"treats the size and shape of a leaf as if they were the only physical characteristics of a leaf that depend on climate",
"relies on a weak analogy between a leaf and the fossil of a leaf as evidence for the claims advanced",
"fails to demonstrate that no species of plant can long survive a violent change in it... | 3 | train_2368 |
Sociologist: A recent study of 5, 000 individuals found, on the basis of a physical exam, that more than 25 percent of people older than 65 were malnourished, though only 12 percent of the people in this age group fell below government poverty standards. In contrast, a greater percentage of the people 65 or younger fel... | Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the findings of the study cited by the sociologist EXCEPT: | [
"People 65 or younger are less likely to have medical conditions that interfere with their digestion than are people over 65.",
"Doctors are less likely to correctly diagnose and treat malnutrition in their patients who are over 65 than in their younger patients.",
"People 65 or younger are no more likely to fa... | 2 | train_2369 |
Carrillo: Using the number of existing primate species, along with measures of the genetic diversify among these primates and among the extinct primate species, our statistical model strongly supports the conclusion that the first primate developed around 81. 5 million years ago. Olson: Given that the oldest primate fo... | The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Carrillo and Olson disagree over whether | [
"primates have been around for more than 55 million years",
"fossils of the first primate species that developed have been discovered",
"Carrillo's statistical model is a reliable way of dating the first appearance of primate species",
"the available sample of primate fossils is representative of the variety ... | 2 | train_2370 |
The reason music with a simple recurring rhythm exerts a strong primordial appeal is that it reminds us of the womb environment. After all, the first sound heard within the womb is the comforting sound of the mother' s regular heartbeat. So in taking away from us the warmth and security of the womb, birth also takes aw... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn in the reasoning above? | [
"The comforting sound of the mother's regular heartbeat is the first sound that is heard inside the womb.",
"Birth deprives us of a primal and constant source of comfort when it takes away the warmth and security of the womb.",
"People seek sensations of warmth and security throughout life because birth takes a... | 3 | train_2371 |
A study of 86 patients, all of whom suffered from disease T and received the same standard medical treatment, divided the patients into 2 equal groups. One group' s members all attended weekly support group meetings, but no one from the other group attended support group meetings. After 10 years, 41 patients from each ... | Which one of the following statements, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? | [
"The members of the group that attended weekly support group meetings lived 2 years longer, on average, than the members of the other group.",
"Some physicians have argued that attending weekly support group meetings gives patients less faith in the standard treatment for disease T.",
"Everyone in the group who... | 0 | train_2372 |
Experienced gardeners advise against planting snap peas after late April because peas do not develop properly in warm weather. This year, however, the weather was unusually cool into late June, and ttherefore the fact that these snap peas were planted in mid-May is unlikely to result in crop failure despite the experts... | The pattern of reasoning displayed above is most closely paralleled in which one of the following? | [
"Since African violets do not thrive in direct sunlight, it is said that in this region these plants should be placed in windows facing north rather than south; however, since these south-facing windows are well shaded by evergreen trees, the African violets placed in them are likely to grow satisfactorily.",
"Ho... | 0 | train_2373 |
The local radio station will not win the regional ratings race this year. In the past ten years the station has never finished better than fifth place in the ratings. The station' s manager has not responded to its dismal ratings by changing its musical format or any key personnel, while the competition has often sough... | The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above? | [
"All lions are mammals. Ttherefore Leo, the local zoo's oldest lion, is a mammal too.",
"Recently stock prices have always been lower on Mondays. Ttherefore they will be lower this coming Monday too.",
"Only trained swimmers are lifeguards, so it follows that the next lifeguard at the local pool will be a train... | 1 | train_2374 |
Megan: People pursue wealth beyond what their basic needs require only if they see it as a way of achieving high status or prestige. Channen: Not everybody thinks that way. After all, money is the universal medium of exchange. So, if you have enough of it, you can exchange it for whatever other material goods you may n... | Megan and Channen disagree over whether | [
"it is rational to maximize one's ability to purchase whatever one wants only when the motive for doing so is something other than the desire for prestige",
"the motive for pursuing wealth beyond what one's basic needs require is ever anything other than the desire for prestige or high status",
"it is irrationa... | 1 | train_2375 |
Tony: A new kind of videocassette has just been developed. It lasts for only half as many viewings as the old kind does but costs a third as much. Ttherefore, video rental stores would find it significantly more economical to purchase and stock movies recorded on the new kind of videocassette than on the old kind. Anna... | Anna's reply is structured to lead to which one of the following conclusions? | [
"The largest part of the fee a customer pays to rent a movie from a video rental store goes toward the royalties the store paid in purchasing that movie.",
"If the price a video rental store pays to buy a movie on videocassette does not decrease, the rental fee the store charges on the movie will not decrease.",
... | 2 | train_2376 |
David: Forbidding companies from hiring permanent replacements for striking employees would be profoundly unfair. Such companies would have little leverage in their negotiations with strikers. Lin: No, the companies would still have sufficient leverage in negotiations if they hired temporary replacements. | Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the exchange between David and Lin? | [
"David and Lin believe that companies should be allowed as much leverage in negotiations as the striking employees.",
"Lin believes it is unfair to forbid companies from hiring permanent replacements for their striking employees.",
"David and Lin disagree over the amount of leverage companies lose in their nego... | 2 | train_2377 |
Marine biologists had hypothesized that lobsters kept together in lobster traps eat one another in response to hunger. Periodic checking of lobster traps, however, has revealed instances of lobsters sharing traps together for weeks. Eight lobsters even shared one trap together for two months without eating one another.... | The argument against the marine biologists' hypothesis is based on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"Any food that the eight lobsters in the trap might have obtained was not enough to ward off hunger.",
"Lobsters not caught in lobster traps have been observed eating one another.",
"It is unusual to find as many as eight lobsters caught together in one single trap.",
"Two months is the longest known period d... | 0 | train_2378 |
Advertisement: The new Reflex computer represents a conceptual advance. Unlike traditional computers, the Reflex has a built-in monitoring function that continuously checks all other computer operations and lets you know if they are malfunctioning in any way, thus preventing the loss of data. With the Reflex, ttherefor... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the advertisement's argument depends? | [
"The monitoring function provides suggestions on how to prevent future malfunctions.",
"The monitoring function of the Reflex is not subject to frequent unpredictable malfunctioning.",
"The Reflex computer continues to process data while it is warning of a malfunction.",
"The monitoring function of the Reflex... | 1 | train_2379 |
Approximately 7. 6 million women who earn incomes have preschool-age children, and approximately 6. 4 million women are the sole income earners for their families. These figures indicate that there are comparatively few income-earning women who have preschool-age children but are not the sole income earners for their f... | A major flaw in the reasoning is that it | [
"overlooks the possibility that there is little or no overlap between the two populations of women cited",
"fails to indicate whether the difference between the two figures cited will tend to remain stable over time",
"provides no information on families in which men are the sole income earners",
"relies on f... | 0 | train_2380 |
In general, jobs are harder to get in times of economic recession because many businesses cut back operations. However, any future recessions in Vargonia will probably not reduce the availability of teaching jobs at government-funded schools. This is because Vargonia has just introduced a legal requirement that educati... | Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument? | [
"Teachers in Vargonia's government-funded schools are well paid relative to teachers in most privately funded schools in Vargonia, many of which rely heavily on part-time teachers",
"Nearly 20 percent more teachers are currently employed in Vargonia's government-funded schools than had been employed in those scho... | 3 | train_2381 |
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Unlike other sports, soccer does not require very much equipment. The field can be any size, goal posts can be makeshift, and anything that can be kicked can serve as the ball. Ttherefore, it is entirely unsurprising that the most recent FIFA World Cup -- the largest inter... | The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions? | [
"Soccer is relatively less popular in the United States due to the country's prosperity.",
"People who play a sport are likely to be fans of that sport.",
"Other sports would be similarly popular if they could reduce their economic cost.",
"Soccer is the most popular in South America and Europe."
] | 1 | train_2382 |
An overly centralized economy, not the changes in the climate, is responsible for the poor agricultural production in Country X since its new government came to power. Neighboring Country Y has experienced the same climatic conditions, but while agricultural production has been falling in Country X, it has been rising ... | Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above? | [
"Industrial production also is declining in Country X.",
"The crops that have always been grown in Country X are different from those that have always been grown in Country Y.",
"Both Country X and Country Y have been experiencing drought conditions.",
"Country X's new government instituted a centralized econ... | 1 | train_2383 |
There are far fewer independent bookstores than there were 20 years ago, largely because chain bookstores prospered and multiplied during that time. Thus, chain bookstores' success has been to the detriment of book consumers, for the shortage of independent bookstores has prevented the variety of readily available book... | Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? | [
"Independent bookstores typically do not sell the kinds of books that are available in chain bookstores.",
"Book consumers would be better off if there were a greater variety of readily available books than there currently is.",
"The average bookstore today is larger than the average bookstore of 20 years ago."... | 1 | train_2384 |
The Green Ensemble, a nonprofit theater group, has always been financially dependent on contributions from corporations and would have been forced to disband this year if any of its corporate sponsors had withdrawn their financial support. But the Green Ensemble has not only been able to continue in operation throughou... | Which one of the following is a conclusion that can be properly drawn from the information above? | [
"Earlier this year the Green Ensemble found other sources of funding for next year, making the group less dependent on corporations for financial support.",
"This year corporate funding was the source of more than half of the Green Ensemble's income.",
"During this year corporate funding for the Green Ensemble ... | 3 | train_2385 |
Internet music downloading websites allow consumers to download music onto their home computers. Patrons of these music downloading websites purchase more albums from retail stores than people who do not download music through these websites. Ttherefore, downloading music on these websites actually encourages consumers... | The argument is most vulnerable to criticism because it | [
"uses inherently self-contradicting claims to support its conclusion",
"generalizes about the behavior of a large group based on the actions of a few unrepresentative samples",
"suggests a premise must be false because of the lack of evidence to support it",
"fails to consider that the concurrent existence of... | 3 | train_2386 |
Civil libertarian: The categorical prohibition of any nonviolent means of expression inevitably poisons a society' s intellectual atmosphere. Ttherefore, those advocating censorship of all potentially offensive art are pursuing a course that is harmful to society. Censorship advocate: You' re wrong, because many people... | The censorship advocate's rebuttal is flawed because it | [
"relies on an irrelevant reason for rejecting the civil libertarian's argument",
"attempts to extract a general rule from a specific case",
"extracts an erroneous principle from a commonly held belief",
"attacks the civil libertarian's character instead of the argument"
] | 0 | train_2387 |
People with a certain eye disorder are virtually unable to see in moderately bright light, which seems to them unbearably intense, since the cells of their retinas are overwhelmed by moderately bright light. These people do, however, show normal sensitivity to most components of dim light. Their retinal cells are also ... | The information above best supports which of the following hypotheses about people with the disorder described, if they have no other serious visual problems? | [
"In all moderately dim light in which people without the disorder can read large print, people with the disorder cannot read such print.",
"Eyeglasses that are transparent to red components of light but filter out other components of light help these people see in moderately bright light.",
"These people percei... | 1 | train_2388 |
Historian: Flavius, an ancient Roman governor who believed deeply in the virtues of manual labor and moral temperance, actively sought to discourage the arts by removing state financial support for them. Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays t... | The historian's argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it | [
"fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius's administration that were not explicitly about Flavius",
"fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient Rome",
"treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius's popularity d... | 2 | train_2389 |
When released into the atmosphere, the refrigerant Freon damages the Earth' s ozone layer. A new kind of refrigerant does not have this effect. The manufacturer claims that replacing Freon with the new refrigerant in both new and existing refrigerators will prevent any further Freon damage to the ozone layer apart from... | Which of the following must be true if the manufacturer's prediction is to prove accurate? | [
"The new refrigerant can counteract the damaging effects of Freon on the Earth's atmosphere.",
"The damage already done to the ozone layer is not of environmentally significant proportions.",
"The new refrigerant causes no environmental damage of any kind when it is released into the atmosphere.",
"Freon can ... | 3 | train_2390 |
Everyone who is excessively generous is not levelheaded, and no one who is levelheaded is bold. | Which one of the following is strictly implied by the above? | [
"Everyone who is excessively generous is not bold.",
"If someone is levelheaded, then that person is neither bold nor excessively generous.",
"No one who is not bold lacks excessive generosity.",
"Everyone who is not bold is excessively generous."
] | 1 | train_2391 |
Marine biologist: Scientists have long wondered why the fish that live around coral reefs exhibit such brilliant colors. One suggestion is that coral reefs are colorful and, ttherefore, that colorful fish are camouflaged by them. Many animal species, after all, use camouflage to avoid predators. However, as regards the... | Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn in the marine biologist's argument? | [
"The fact that many species use camouflage to avoid predators is one reason to believe that brightly colored fish living near reefs do too.",
"It turns out that the corals in a coral reef are mostly dull hues of brown and green.",
"A reef stripped of its fish is relatively monochromatic.",
"The suggestion tha... | 3 | train_2392 |
Albert: The government has proposed new automobile emissions regulations designed to decrease the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released into the atmosphere by automobile exhaust. I don' t see the need for such regulations; although PAHs are suspected of causing cancer, a causal link has never been ... | Which one of the following, if true, is the logically strongest counter that Albert can make to Erin's argument? | [
"PAHs are one of several components of automobile exhaust that scientists suspect of causing cancer.",
"It is not known whether PAHs are a causal factor in any diseases other than heart and lung disease and cancer.",
"Most automobile manufacturers are strongly opposed to additional automobile emissions regulati... | 3 | train_2393 |
Advertisement: Anyone who exercises knows from firsthand experience that exercise leads to better performance of such physical organs as the heart and the lungs, as well as to improvement in muscle tone. And since your brain is a physical organ, your actions can improve its performance, too. Act now. Subscribe to Stimu... | The advertisement employs which one of the following argumentative strategies? | [
"It ridicules people who do not subscribe to Stimulus by suggesting that they do not believe that exercise will improve brain capacity.",
"It implies that brains and muscle are similar in one respect because they are similar in another respect.",
"It cites experimental evidence that subscribing to the product b... | 1 | train_2394 |
Household indebtedness, which some theorists regard as causing recession, was high preceding the recent recession, but so was the value of assets owned by households. Admittedly, if most of the assets were owned by quite affluent households, and most of the debt was owed by low-income households, high household debt le... | The argument is structured to lead to which one of the following conclusions? | [
"When people borrowed money prior to the recent recession, they did not use it to purchase assets.",
"High levels of household debt did not cause the recent recession.",
"Low-income households succeeded in paying off their debts despite the recent recession.",
"High levels of household debt have little impact... | 1 | train_2395 |
Researchers have found that some unprotected areas outside of a national park that was designed to protect birds have substantially higher numbers of certain bird species than comparable areas inside the park. | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the researchers' finding? | [
"The park was designed to protect endangered bird species, but some of the bird species that are present in higher numbers in the unprotected areas are also endangered.",
"The researchers also found that some unprotected areas outside of the park have substantially higher numbers of certain reptile species than c... | 2 | train_2396 |
This semester Professor Popkin will commute to Montreal by plane, leaving every Tuesday and returning to Toronto every Friday. She instructs her travel agent to schedule for her one round-trip that departs from Toronto on the first Tuesday and returns to Toronto on the last Friday of the semester and additional round-t... | Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain Professor Popkin's instructions to her travel agent regarding the grouping of her flights into round-trips? | [
"If all Professor Popkin's tickets are paid for at one time, she will be eligible for a frequent-traveler discount.",
"Professor Popkin's round-trip tickets are least expensive if each trip is scheduled so that at least one Saturday night intervenes between the departing flight and the returning flight.",
"In o... | 1 | train_2397 |
Principle: If one does not criticize a form of behavior in oneself or vow to stop it, then one should not criticize that form of behavior in another. Application: If Shimada does not vow to stop being tardy himself, he should not criticize McFeney for tardiness. | Which one of the following, if true, justifies the above application of the principle? | [
"Shimada criticizes McFeney for regularly being tardy, but also criticizes himself for occasional tardiness.",
"Neither McFeney nor Shimada is regularly tardy, but Shimada criticizes McFeney for tardiness nonetheless.",
"McFeney often criticizes Shimada for being tardy, but neither Shimada nor McFeney ever vows... | 3 | train_2398 |
Restaurant manager: In response to requests from our customers for a children' s menu, we recently introduced three different options designed for kids: a grilled cheese sandwich with fries, chicken tenders with onion rings, and a hot dog with potato chips. The first two are frequently ordered, but no one orders the ho... | Which one of the following is an error of reasoning in the restaurant manager's argument? | [
"attempting to prove a claim on the basis of evidence that a number of people hold that claim to be true",
"drawing a conclusion that is inconsistent with one premise of the argument",
"ignoring possible differences between what people say they want and what they actually choose",
"treating one of several pla... | 3 | train_2399 |
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